Join us as we say a final goodbye to a broadcasting legend.
On Monday, August 11, 640 WGST will air the memorial service for Skip Caray live from Christ the King Cathedral in Atlanta. The service begins at 4pm. Immediately following the live broadcast of the memorial service, we will feed a one-hour special tribute to Skip Caray.
Among those expected to speak at the service are John Schuerholz, Pete Van Wieren, and John Smoltz. Hundreds of people are expected to attend this event. Space will be very limited, so the best way to participate will be to listen on 640 WGST.
The Atlanta Braves have announced plans to honor the life of longtime broadcaster and friend, Skip Caray on Tuesday, August 12.
The Braves invite all fans to come and pay tribute to the legendary voice of the team on
Tuesday at 10 am at Turner Field. Speakers include Braves Chairman and CEO Terry McGuirk, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, longtime broadcast partner and friend Pete Van Wieren and Skip’s son Chip Caray. Another longtime broadcast partner and friend, Joe Simpson, will lead the event.
Cherished moments will be shared and video tributes will air throughout the ballpark. Fans who wish to attend can park in the Green lot and enter through the Plaza gates.
Gates will open at 9 am.
Tuesday night’s game, ironically versus the Chicago Cubs, will continue the celebration of Skip’s life and career with a special pre-game ceremony with the Caray family and the entire night will be filled with video clips and first person stories shown on Braves Vision.
The game begins at 7:10 pm, with the pre-game ceremonies beginning at 6:45 pm
The Caray family has also announced plans for an open service for Skip’s friends and fans. The service will be on Monday, August 11 at Christ the King Cathedral at the corner of Peachtree St. and Peachtree Ave. just north of West Wesley St. Services will begin at 4:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers the family is asking that donations be made to one of the following in memory of Skip:
ATLANTA -- Skip Caray, the longtime voice of the Atlanta Braves passed away in his sleep at his suburban Atlanta home on Sunday. Caray, 68, was in his 33rd season as a broadcaster for the Braves.
"Our baseball community has lost a legend today," said Braves President John Schuerholz. "The Braves family and Braves fans everywhere will sadly miss him. Our thoughts are with his wife Paula and his children."
Caray, the son of Hall of Fame Broadcaster Harry Caray, is survived by his wife Paula and his four children. Funeral arrangements have not been announced at this time.
A graduate of the University of Missouri, Caray got his start broadcasting baseball in 1963 with the Tulsa Drillers. Caray began calling the action for the Braves along with partner Pete Van Wieren on TBS in 1976.
In 2004, the team inducted both Caray and Van Wieren into the Braves Hall of Fame. The duo has served as the primary voice of the Braves on the Radio Network for the past two seasons.
Caray also worked select dates for local Braves television affiliate Peachtree TV this season. His 32-year stint with TBS ended last October when the station opted to drop the Braves in favor of a weekly national broadcast and post-season coverage.
While Caray's health had limited his play-by-play duties solely to home games this year, he still brought his infectious wit and trademark style to work with him each night. The final game of his storied career occured last Thursday, as the Braves appropriately defeated the St. Louis Cardinals by a 7-2 final score.
"He was somebody that put a feeling into the game," said Braves legend Hank Aaron on Monday. "He was put here to broadcast... Some people are put here to play baseball, Skip was put here to announce games behind the mic."
That calling has been carried on through a bloodline that includes sons Chip Caray, who returned to the Atlanta broadcast team in 2005, and Josh Caray, who is the play-by-play announcer for the Braves Single-A affiliate in Rome.
"He was always honest," added Schuerholz. "He would never make up a criticism of somebody, nor would he make up a praise of someone. He was always brutally honest about what he saw and what he felt, and wanted the fans to know what that was."
Caray made the initial move to Atlanta while broadcasting basketball for the then St. Louis Hawks, when the team relocated in 1968. In addition to basketball, Caray also broadcasted football for Turner's TNT Sunday Night game in 1990 and 1991 as well as the 1990 Goodwill Games on TBS.
"He was a friend and a colleague and a partner," said Schuerholz. "I'd say the void created by his leaving is as big as any void that could be imagined. He was iconic in his stature and was the voice and sometimes the conscience of the Braves. He was the heartbeat of the Braves."
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